ARMADA — The recycled truck, tractor, and combine tires will be used for tire-derived aggregate, fuel, and rubber mulch.
It will also keep landfills clear of tires, clean the environment, and maintain a circular economy, said Zachariah Devon, sales manager for the Detroit-based BSG Tire Recycling LLC, which offers a range of services for tire shops and dealerships in his tri-county area, including scrap-tire collection and fully equipped processing.
On Tuesday in Armada, dozens of Macomb County Farm Bureau members loaded 519 tires into a 53-foot-long BSG Tire Recycling semi. The tires, which farmers say clutter farm property and serve as a haven for mosquitos, woodchucks, and possums, were recycled for a small fee, depending on the type — $10 for tractor, $5 for truck, and $4 for a pickup or car.
When loaded into the truck, some tires stood 5 feet tall.
Devon said the tires can now be put to better use.
“We'll take front-loader tires, skid-steer tires, passenger tires, light-truck (tires), semi-truck (tires) — all sizes and shapes,” he told Michigan Farm News. “We even take rubber from conveyor belts. So, anybody that's really trying to look for a healthy way to dispose of their rubber, we offer to help.”
According to Devon, the tires will end up at BSG’s processing facility in Detroit, where the company can shred up to 1,200 tires an hour.
He said the company will upgrade its shredding machine in April to better strip out wire.
“Wherever there's a need, we're always looking to help out our local communities, and, of course, our farmers,” Devon said. “You know, they take care of us in more ways than I think most people think of. They’re the backbone of this country, and if there's any way that we can help support that, we're going to do so.”
Macomb County Farm Bureau holds the tire recycling event every other year. If they had it their way, it would be held every year, said Gary Kirsh, a Macomb County Farm Bureau board member.
“A number of years ago, the board decided we would start this program to get these tires off the farm,” said Kirsh, who farms corn, soybean, wheat, sunflowers and small vegetables in Washington, located roughly 35 miles north of Detroit.
“The members are very receptive to it. They keep asking us to do it again. We are finding out that even doing this every other year, we are still collecting around the same amount of tires, which is pretty exciting to think about. The tires are coming off of farms and back into the system.”
This might look like the rubber matting around playground structures, Kirsh said.
“We're very excited to help our members but to also get these tires back into use for something,” added Kirsh, noting members prepaid for the event and listed how many tires would be recycled. This led to a smoother flow of operations and no surprises, Kirsh said.
“There's definitely some options to be able to help out our farmers,” added Devon, “(and) we're more than happy to help with any of their needs if it becomes more frequent.”
For more information about BSG Tire Recycling, contact Zachariah Devon at zachdevon@bsgtires.com.
Learn more about the tire recycling event in the video above.